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Narodstrana of Esfera
The world is cold and wet, but the will of the People will make you warm and dry, and STRONG! Narodstrana is a primarily Human nation in the most northern reaches of the Realm of Esfera, where there near-constant rains of the plane turn into near-constant snow. History Narodstrana is located in one of the harshest areas of an excessively harsh realm. These conditions have made the natives of the land a hardy people, with a great emphasis on family and community. Over the ages many attempts to unite the people of the northern lands under one ruler have ended in heavy resistance, causing those duchies and kingdoms which rose up to fall after a short period of time. The Narodniks, however, had a different idea. The Narodniks, as an organization, convinced the people of their frozen homeland to unite, not under any singular ruler, but together so that all may benefit. They rallied against existing rulers, claiming that they exploited their citizens without offering anything in return. After several brutal revolutions the loosely united nation of Narodstrana was established, organized (but not officially ruled) by a group of enlightened thinkers. Though able to go through (or across) the ice flows of the northern island regions, Narodnik vessels could not traverse the greater seas of Esfera before they came in contact with sailors from more developed nations. These sailors visited the southern fringes of Narodstrana, seeking ice, whales, and other exotics from the unmapped North. While aghast that the Narodniks had no proper ruler, they nevertheless traded with these strange Northern people. The folk of Narodstrana adapted the ship designs of their future peers and began bringing trade to the Southern nations, earning some tidy profits which they shared with their fellow people. Government Narodstrana is ideally a democratic society, though in practice it comes to be more of a republic or outright dictatorship. The ice villages are democratic, with an elected representative who speaks for them to the Ministers in the national assembly. Towns and cities, grown too large for a democratic assembly, have an elected mayor to speak for them, as well as an elected representative in the national assembly. The Ministers are elected or appointed (arbitrarily) to fill roles important to the entire nation. They include a Minister of Foreign Affairs who deals with outsiders, including trade, a Minister of the Interior who ensures that no trouble arrises for (or by) the townsfolk, a Minister of Law who makes sure laws are upheld and punishes criminals, and the Minister of War who organizes the military for the national defence of Narodstrana. Additionally these are all overseen by an elected Prime Minister, who has his own, separate agents to ensure that nothing illegal goes on under the watch of the other Ministers. Culture The will of the People is not limited to the governmental body. Many of the ruling designers of Narodstrana have devoted time and effort to unifying the people of the loose commune country with a sense of nationalism. Most Narodniks however are just fine being left to their own villages and towns, to mine, fish, and gather ice. While primarily Human, the Narodniks do not discriminate by race. They welcome all, even offworlders, to their society. Friendly Adlet tribes are found in the interior of the main island. Some immigrants from around Esfera have been welcomed, as long as they prove themselves devoted to the Narodnik ideal. Architecture Due to the degree of snow that falls upon the lands of Narodstrana, even greater architectural works are required than the storm-proofing of the rest of the world. Many Narodnik villages are built of igloos, or at least partially underground, and the structures tend to be angled or cone-shaped so that most of the snow slides right off. Wolves Wolves are pack animals, and always work together. The lone wolf lives apart from the pack, and starves in the cold. Do not be a lone wolf, be a proper pack animal and help your pack. There are many wolves in Narodstrana, and propaganda is used to keep them in line. Locations Garpungrad The capital city, as it is, of Narodstrana. Garpungrad grew from a small fishing village to an ice trading town to a sprawling metropolis of Narodnik might. Located partially underground, the design of Garpungrad sloughs falling snow off to areas that it is collected and compressed into the ice blocks sold to the warm Southerners. The bay also contains a heavy whaling industry. Menshik Menshik is one of the most southern-lying villages, and as such is capable of farming for part of the year in which the snow turns to rain. Although the crops tend to be rather meager, they are shared across Narodstrana. Zemstvo An Otaga village located deep within the Narodstrana hinterlands, built more into underground caves than the igloos found on the surface. Affiliations Narodstrana has commercial ties to many of the other seagoing nations of Esfera. Due to their ability to successfully gather ice and snow, as well as coldships that can transport it, the Narodniks are deemed fairly necessary to the other countries' continued successes. Even so, they have poor relations, especially with Royaume who disdains from having to buy ice from one group, and Frisland, who would corner the market if they could. Similarly the Narodniks disdain monarchies and oligarchies, attempting to preach their own style when they can, but still taking the money. Pirates are a problem for Narodstrana as any other nation, though slightly less so, given the cold climate. Still, the threat exists, especially away from the northerly archipelago, and Narodnik propaganda paints pirates as the lowest and greediest class of person. Famous Citizens Vladino Bolshev As Prime Minister of Narodstrana, Vladino Bolshev is, in theory, the man responsible for organizing the other Ministers who organize the laws and practices of Narodstrana. In practice, he is a dictator, who imposes government control of varying degrees whenever he deems it necessary for the nation's continued survival. Doberov One of the most powerful and skilled warriors of Narodstrana, Doberov is called the Hand of the People and the Hound of Winter. Though a foreigner (in more ways than one) Doberov is fiercely loyal to the Narodniks, and Minister Bolshev especially. Ool-yich An Adlet chieftain, Ool-yich is well respected by the many different people of Narodstrana, both as a warrior and a leader of his tribe. See Also Realm of Esfera. Category:Nations Category:Realm of Esfera